Fuel mixer for internal-combustion engines



Jan. 18, 1927.

Filed Dec. '7. 1922 INVENTOR A TTORNEYS Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

ZBEN ELW OOD DYEB, OF CLABKSDALE, MISSISSIPPI.

FUEL MIXER FOR INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Application filed December 7, 1922. Serial No. 605,416.

My invention relates to improvements in fuel mixer for internal combustion engines, more particularly that type of internal combustion engine employed in motor vehicles, and it consists in the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described in which the rotatable mixing member is rotatably supported upon an anti-friction bearing, thereby precluding the disadvantage eminent in similar devices of the binding of the mixing member. In devices ofthis character it is absolutely necessary that the mixing member shall rotate at a maximum speed and my present invention embodies a structure obtaining this necessary result.

A further object of my invention is to provide adevice of the character described in which the bearing surface of the rotatably mounted mixing member is reduced to a minimum, thereby reducing the surface upon which accumulation of extraneous sub-.

stances may be deposited to hinder the free movement of the member.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described in which a flexible union is employed in the vapor intake line, thereby precluding the possibility of breakage of this line which is quite common in devices of this character and which is brought about by the continued vibration of the car as it runs upon the road. This vibration causes the radiator and the engine which is suspended upon the frame of the car to vibrate at different periods, and the result is that crystallization of a portion of the metal tube causes the breakage of the tube at a point adjacent the radiator. p

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described which possesses a maximum degree of eiliciency as to the mixture of the water or vapor with the fuel charge.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type described that is extremely simple in construction, that is durable, and that is thoroughly practical for the purpose intended.

' Other objects and advantages will appear in thefollowing specification. and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this application, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of my invention applied to the internal combustion engine of amotor vehicle,

Figure 2.is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view along the line 33 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is aview partially in section of a portion of the mechanism illustrated in Figurel. i

In carrying out my invention I provide a motor vehicle 1 having an internal combustion engine 2 and a water cooling radiator 3 therefor. The engine 2 is provided with an intake manifold 4 for conducting the fuel charge to the valve ports of the cylinders. The engine 2 is further provided with a carburetor 5 in which the liquid fuel is vaporized so that it may be drawn through the manifold 4 and into the cylinders.

It is well known in the art that water \vapor introduced to the fuel charge of an internal combustion engine brings about certain beneficial results, namely, amore effective explosion of fuel when ignited.

It is also well known that if the fuel charge is thoroughly agitated prior to its manifold, but in most cases the mechanism for agitating the charge is mechanism which becomes practically inoperative after a short period of use or in' which the friction of the moving parts is so reat that the relatively slight force app led to operate the mechanism is not sufiicient to properl actuate the moving element. This disa vantage has been entirely overcome in my present invention.

My mixing mechanism consists in a plate 6 which is clearl shown in Figure 3. The plate 6 is provi ed with a relatively large centrall located opening 7 therethrough. The wa ls of the opening 7 are tapered as shown at 8, (see Figure 2). The plate 6 is further rovided with an elongated opening 9 ad acent one end and a slot 10 at the opposite end.

The openings 9 and the slot 10 serve as ameans for receiving bolts 11 which are normally provided to secure the intake manifold 4 to the outlet 12 of the carburetor 5. On both the outlet 12 and the manifold 4 are provided radially extending flanges 13 and 14 respectively which are similar in shape to the plate 6 and concentric with the axis of the opening 7.

The plate 6 is introduced between the ad' jacent surfaces of the flanges 13 and 14 re spectively( and the bolts 11 are tightened, thereby insurin a vapor-tight connection between the out et 12 and the intake manifold 4 as though the plate 6 were not introduced into the combination at all.

The plate 6 is provided with a pair of supporting members 17 and 18 both of which are parallel with the plate and which are spaced apart from one another. These supporting members may be stamped out directly from the plate or may be secured to the plate in an well known manner, such as welding, soldering, or the like. The structure of the supporting members is more clearly shown in Figure 3, the suporting member -18 being sheared away rom the supporting member 17, leaving a longitudinal opening 19 in the member 17.

The supporting members 17 and 18 are each provided with arcuate cavities 20 and 21 respectively in their adjacent side walls. These arcuate cavities 20 and 21 are in axial registration with one another and concentric with the axis of the opening 7 L A rotatable mixing member generally in--, dicated at 22 is rotatably mounted upon the supporting members 17 and 18 by means of a shaft portion 23 centrally located therein and extending transversely on each side of the mixing member. The shaft portion 23 is rovided with an arcuate cavity 24 in eac end thereof. Steel balls'25 are partially received in each of the cavities 20 and 21 and in the adjacent cavities 24 of the shaft portion 23, thereby providing an antifriction bearing for the mixing member 22.

In order to introduce the steel balls 25 it is necessary of course to spring the supporting member 17 slightly away from the member 18.

The mixing member 22 is constructed with a plurality of radially extending blades 26 which are inclined-relative to the plate 6- so that the fuel charge in passing from the outlet 12 to the intake manifold 4 will cause the member to rotate rapidly. The space between the adjacent blades 26 of the mixing member is relatively large as shown at 27, which structure reduces the resistance of the flow of the fuel to a minimum without sacrificing the propelling force necessary to successfult operate the mixing member 22. It should be stated at this time that in the ordinary type of device, the opening 27 must be relatively small since the friction of the moving parts of such devices is rela tively great.

The plate 6 is further provided with a groove 28 on the under surface thereof extending from the outer peripheral edge thereof and communicating with the open ing 7. A copper tube 30 is flattened at apoint adjacent to its outer end and that flattened portion is dis osed in the groove 28 and permitted to pro ect within the opening to a point adjacent the mixing member 22. The inner-"end 31 of the tube is bent upwardly so that the mouth 32 is as close to the moving blades 26 as possible. The mouth 32 is of course beneath the blades 26.

The tube 30 is provided with a suitable coupling device 33 by means of which the tube may beremovabl'y connected with a relatively small tube 34. This small tube 34 is connected as shown in Figure 1 to the upper chamber 35 of the radiator 3 above the water level of the radiator through asuitable flexible, shock absorbing union. This union is more clearly illustrated in Figure 4 and comprises a rubber tube 36 constructed of a quality of rubber which prevents decomposition or hardening from passage of the water vapor and heat from the radiator therethrough. The outer end of the tube 34 has thereon an enlarged sleeve 35 which is held against displacement upon the tube by means of an outturned portion 37 thereof and a ring 38 at the opposite side of the sleeve. The rubber tube 36 is disposed over the sleeve 35 and the sleeve effectively prevents the disengagement of the tube 34 with the tube 36. A second tube 39, similar in construction with the tube 34 is also connected with the opposite end of the rubber tube 36 in precisely the same manner .as is the tube 34. The opposite end of this tube I have shown at 40 as connected with the chamber 35 of the radiator 3, heretofore described.

From the foregoing description ofthe various part-s of the device, the operation there of may be readily understood. My present invention, because of the provision of the anti-friction bearing or moving member 22 will function immediately upon starting the not obtained unless the e is goi ver fast and the force of tl i d fiiel charge? as it passes from the outlet 12 to the intake manifold 4 is relatively great.

My lpresent device operates immediately upon t e first inrush of vapor from the carburetor and thoroughlyatomizes and agitates that va or so that it is in an apt condition for com ustion.

As the fuel charge 12 is drawn from the carburetor of themanifold, a vacuum is created in the relatively small tube 34 by virtue of its opening adjacent the mixing member 22 and water vapor from the chamber 35 is forced throu h the tube by atmospheric pressure and elivered through the mouth 32 of the tube 30. This water vapor thoroughly mixes with the agitated fuel charge and the final mixture of fuel charge and water vapor are drawn through the manifold and into the cylinders of the engine. The result obtained is-an increase in the efliciency of, the power factors of the engine, due to a more complete combustion of the fuel charge.

It is well known that in the ordinary type of motor vehicle the. radiator vibrates as the car passes over the road, especially if the road is a loosely packed macadam road or a gravel road and that the engine and other parts of the car vibrate as well. It is also apparent that the radiator and the en e will not vibrate at the same period of vi ration simultaneously and that one will move with greater dexterity than the other. This condition has brought about a certain ievous disadvantage in the fuel evices of the character now in use. disadvantage is that the metal tube which connects the plate 6 or its equivalent actually breaks at a point adjacent to the radiator. In my present invention I emplo a flexible union 36 which serves to permit 0 unequal motion of the tubes 34 and 39 without any danger to the line. This structure has proven highly satisfactory and recludes entirely the ossibility of the line i w 1 due to the vi ra'tory motion of the radiator.

I claim: A fuel mixer of the type described comrising asupporting member arranged to lie tween the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine and a: carburetor therefor,

a lug having a semi-spherical recess therein,

being integral with said supportin member and extending inwardly through t he center portion thereof, a second lug having a semispherical recess therein, being with said supporting member and exten perpendicula'r to' the plane of said su port' member and turned inwardly parallel wi said first named lug, a turbine wheel having a shaft portion and semi-spherical in the end walls of the shaft portion, sin le ball bearings partially sai recesses and in registration with said.

lugs, said lugs being integral, whereby the distance between said bearing members may not vary during the operation of said device. 1'.

BEN ELWOOD pm This 

